Method for selecting functional tables through a touch-sensitive button key

ABSTRACT

A method for selecting functional tables through a touch-sensitive button key aims to facilitate selection and execution of an item on a functional table according to the pressing location of a user&#39;s finger on a touch-sensitive pad. The method includes at least the following steps: mapping areas of a touch-sensitive pad against different menus; displaying a menu of a corresponding functional table when touching of a finger on a selected area of the touch-sensitive pad is detected; changing a selected and marked item when the finger moves on the selected area; changing the menu displayed on the screen to another menu when the finger moves to another area; and executing the function of a selection item when it is executable. Thus users can select items easier on the opened functional table.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a method for selecting functional tablesthrough a touch-sensitive button key and particularly to a method tofacilitate selection and execution of an item on a functional table.

2. Description of the Prior Art

The functions of electronic products are abundant and more complicatedthese days. Selection of different functions usually has to be donethrough button keys spreading on varying locations. These button keysare constrained by the surface area and generally marked in anabbreviated manner. As a result, users often cannot remember and forgetmost of the functions even after having read the entire operationmanual. They usually can use only some basic functions. It is a pity.Moreover, many functional operations are set according to some preferredproduct functional output. Users could inadvertently hit selection itemsof some preferred settings and result in abnormal outputs, and cannotreset to the normal condition due to unfamiliar to the use method. Someusers become very frustrated or even return the products.

To remedy the aforesaid problem many vendors adopt menu on the screen todo functional selection. For instance, through a five-way key which canbe moved up, down, left and right to select functional tables, and adedicated input key to do data entry, operation convenience can begreatly improved.

While the conventional five-way key can provide some convenience inoperation selection, by moving the key upwards, downwards, leftwards andrightwards to select the items on a marked functional table, the key hasto be depressed many times, some even by dozens, to move from the itemat the top to the bottom on the screen. To transfer from one function toanother function, it has to be done by moving level by level upwards tothe main directory, then moving downwards to a desired functional tableto do selection and input. Although such an approach is easier tooperate and understand than the conventional dispersed button keys, itis a tedious process.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the aforesaid concerns, it is an object of the presentinvention to provide a method for selecting functional tables through atouch-sensitive button key. This method provides users a simpleroperation to select and execute an item on a functional table. Thismethod mainly includes a functional table directory which is dividedinto a plurality of menus and a touch-sensitive pad which is dividedinto a plurality of areas. Each area corresponds to a menu. A screen isprovided to display the selection items of the functional table. Theselection items of the same menu is located on the same area. When auser's finger slides on the areas of the touch-sensitive pad, the menuson the screen are driven to scroll. By depressing the touch-sensitivepad a desired selection item can be input. The method of the inventionincludes at least the following steps:

mapping the areas of a touch-sensitive pad against different menus;

displaying menus of a corresponding functional table on a screen whentouching of a user's finger on a selected area of the touch-sensitivepad is detected;

changing a selected and marked item when the finger moves on theselected area; changing the menu displayed on the screen to another menuwhen the finger moves to another area; and

executing functions of the selected item when it is executable.

By means of the procedures set forth above, users can select and executeitems on a functional table easier.

In one aspect, in the step of “changing the selected and marked itemwhen the finger moves on the selected area, the menu displayed on thescreen being changed to another menu when the finger moves to anotherarea” means that when one selection item in the menus displayed on thescreen is selected at least a menu corresponding to one area is changedto another menu.

In another aspect, the functional table includes a total functiondirectory which is jointly formed by the menus. The menus are organizedin a tree-like structure.

In yet another aspect, in the step of “changing the selected and markeditem when the finger moves on the selected area, the menu displayed onthe screen being changed to another menu when the finger moves toanother area”, the changed menu is a sub-directory of the inputselection item, and the screen displays the items of the sub-directory.

In still another aspect, in the step of “executing the function when anexecutable item is selected” the executable item is a selection item onthe lowest level of the tree-like structured total function directory.

In yet another aspect, the touch-sensitive pad is a two-stage inductiontouch-sensitive pad. To execute input of a selected item, user's fingerdepresses the touch-sensitive pad when the selected item is marked. Thepressure has to reach a preset pressure value detectable by thetouch-sensitive pad.

In yet another aspect, the touch-sensitive pad includes at least onetouch-sensitive pad which has at least one area. The screen displays thecondition of the menus of the functional table corresponding to thearea.

In yet another aspect, the touch-sensitive pad includes a plurality ofareas each corresponding to a selected menu, and the screen displays themenu.

In yet another aspect, the touch-sensitive pad includes a plurality ofareas which are divided into a plurality of rows or columns.

The foregoing, as well as additional objects, features and advantages ofthe invention will be more readily apparent from the following detaileddescription, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of the invention in an operating condition.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of the functional table of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart-1 of the invention.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart-2 of the invention.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart-3 of the invention.

FIG. 6 is a flow chart-4 of the invention.

FIG. 7 is a flow chart-5 of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the method for selecting functionaltables through a touch-sensitive button key of the invention mainlydivides menus of a functional table 9 according to the classification ofselection items into a plurality of menus 91, 92 and 93 and has atouch-sensitive pad 8 which is divided into a plurality of areas 81, 82and 83 corresponding to the menus 91, 92 and 93. The touch-sensitive pad8 is a two-stage induction pad to detect the pressure of fingerdepression. A screen 7 is provided to display the menus 91, 92 and 93.The menus 91, 92 and 93 are located in the areas 81, 82 and 83. When auser's finger slides on the areas 81, 82 and 83, the menus 91, 92 and 93on the screen 7 can be scrolled. Depressing the touch-sensitive pad 8can perform input of a selected item. The method of the inventionincludes at least the following steps:

Step 10: Divide the touch-sensitive pad 8 into a plurality of areas 81,82 and 83 corresponding to different menus 91, 92 and 93 (referring toFIG. 1);

Step 20: The screen displays a corresponding menu of a functional tablewhen a user's finger touches a selected area (referring to FIG. 4). Thisstep further includes: (1) triggering (step 21) a detection action whenthe finger touches the touch-sensitive pad 8; (2) obtaining thecoordinate (step 22) of the finger on the touch-sensitive pad 8 toprocess and get the location of a corresponding menu of the functionaltable; (3) displaying the menus 91, 92 and 93 of the functional table(step 23) on the screen 7 corresponding to the areas 81, 82 and 83 wherethe finger is located (referring to FIG. 1);

Step 30: When the finger moves to another area, the selected and markedmenu displayed on the screen changes to another menu with the changingfinger (referring to FIG. 5). This steps further includes: (1) obtainingthe moving displacement of the finger on the touch-sensitive pad 8 whenthe finger moves (step 31); (2) determining whether the finger remainstouching the touch-sensitive pad 8 (step 32); if positive, execute step33; otherwise execute step 22; (3) altering marking position of themenus on the screen according to upward or downward movement of thefinger (step 33); (4) changing at least one of the menus to anothercorresponding to a selected area when one of the selection itemsdisplayed on the screen is being selected (step 34, also referring toFIG. 6); this step further includes: (1): getting a marked selectionitem (step 341) on a selected menu according to the moving displacementof the finger; (2) determining whether the selection item selected bythe finger has a sub-function directory (step 342); if positive executestep 343; otherwise execute step 40; (3) changing the functional tabledirectory corresponding to the area of the touch-sensitive pad (step343);

Step 40: Execute the function of an executable item if the selectionitem is the executable item (referring to FIG. 7). This step furtherincludes: (1) input (step 41) by getting an input signal via detectingthe depression of the finger on the touch-sensitive pad 8 (or incooperating with an input key); (2) establishing input (step 42) bydetermining whether the input signal exists (through the touch-sensitivepad 8 to detect the depression signal of the finger or the signal of aninput key); if positive, execute step 43; otherwise execute step 30; (3)determining whether the selection item is an executable item (step 43);if positive execute step 44; otherwise display the sub-directory tableon the screen and execute step 30; (4) executing the selected selectionitem (step 44).

By means of the steps set forth above, users can easily open afunctional table and select desired items.

According to the selection method of the invention previously discussedthe functional table has a total function directory jointly formed bythe menus 91, 92 and 93 each being organized in a tree-like structure.

In one aspect, the touch-sensitive pad 8 includes at least onetouch-sensitive pad which includes areas 81, 82 and 83. The screen candisplay conditions of the menus 91, 92 and 93 of the functional table 9corresponding to the areas 81, 82 and 83.

In another aspect, the touch-sensitive pad 8 is divided into a pluralityof areas 81, 82 and 83 which are further divided into a plurality ofrows or columns.

While the embodiments of the invention have been set forth for thepurpose of disclosure, modifications of the disclosed embodiments of theinvention as well as other embodiment thereof may occur to those skilledin the art. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to cover allembodiments which do not depart from the spirit and scope of theinvention.

LEGEND OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 3

-   10—Map areas of a touch-sensitive pad against different menus,-   20—Display menus of a corresponding functional table when touching    of a user's finger on a selected area of the touch-sensitive pad is    detected,-   30—Change a selected and marked item when the finger moves on the    selected area, and change the menu displayed on the screen to    another menu when the finger moves to another area,-   40—Execute functions of an executable item when the selected item is    executable.    FIG. 4-   21—Trigger,-   22—Obtain a coordinate,-   23—Display the menus of a functional table    FIG. 5:-   31—Move the finger,-   32—Confirm whether the finger remains touching,-   33—Change the mark,-   34—Change at least one menu corresponding to a selected area when an    item on menu displayed the screen is selected.    FIG. 6:-   341—Get a marked selection item-   342—Determine whether a sub-directory exists?→(No) Step 40-   343—(Yes) Change the menu of the functional table corresponding to    the area of the touch-sensitive pad.    FIG. 7:-   41—Input,-   42—Does Input being established?-   43—(Yes) Executable item?→(No) Display the sub-directory on the    screen, execute step 30-   44—(Yes) Execute the selected item

1. A method for selecting functional tables through a touch-sensitivebutton key, comprising at least the steps of: mapping areas of atouch-sensitive pad against different menus; displaying menus of acorresponding functional table on a screen when touching of a user'sfinger on a selected area of the touch-sensitive pad is detected;changing a selected and marked item when the finger moves on theselected area, and changing one menu displayed on the screen to anothermenu when the finger moves to another area; and executing functions ofthe selected item when the touch-sensitive button key is pressed toinput if it is executable.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein theselected and marked item changes when the finger moves in the areas, themenu displayed on the screen being changed to another menu when thefinger moves to another area, at least one menu corresponding to aselected area being changed to another menu when one selection item inthe menus displayed on the screen is selected.
 3. The method of claim 1,wherein the functional table has a total function directory jointlyformed by the menus, the menus being organized in a tree-like structure.4. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected and marked item ischanged when the finger moves in the areas, the menu displayed on thescreen being changed to another menu when the finger moves to anotherarea, the changed menu being input to a sub-directory of the selecteditem.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein execution of the selected itemstarts when the selected item is executable, the executable item is aselection item at a lowest level of a total function directory organizedin a tree-like manner.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein thetouch-sensitive pad is a two-stage induction touch-sensitive pad toexecute a selection item by depressing the touch-sensitive pad with thefinger on the marked selection item at a pressure reaching a detectablepreset pressure value.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein thetouch-sensitive pad includes at least one touch-sensitive pad eachhaving at least one area, the screen displaying conditions of the menusof the functional table corresponding to the area.
 8. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the touch-sensitive pad is divided into a plurality ofareas each corresponding to a menu, the screen displaying acorresponding selection item.
 9. The method of claim 8, wherein theareas of the touch-sensitive pad consist of a plurality of columns. 10.The method of claim 8, wherein the areas of the touch-sensitive padconsist of a plurality of rows.